Ballistol-based lube?

Greetings all!

I want to first of all say thank you to everyone in advance for sharing their knowledge! I am loving all that I am reading and seeing so far in the community!

I am looking for a recipe for a ballisol-based lube for a PRB in a GM barrel. I am going to be elk hunting, and spike camping, so discharging at the end of the day won't really be an option.

What would be a good recipe that could sit for one-four days in the barrel without fouling the powder or rusting things up?

Thanks!

If my rifle had to sit loaded for multiple days, I would use a wool wad between the powder and the patch to protect the powder and mink oil for the patch lube. IMHO, with any other lube you run the risk of it drying out.

satwel said:

If my rifle had to sit loaded for multiple days, I would use a wool wad between the powder and the patch to protect the powder and mink oil for the patch lube. IMHO, with any other lube you run the risk of it drying out.

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Even with an oil-based lube like Ballistol?

you might also consider placing a folded over sticky side in piece of electrical tape over the nipple and letting the hammer down on the tape to help seal out moisture from the nipple. the tape falls away when you cock the hammer to cap the rifle.

Absoroka said:

you might also consider placing a folded over sticky side in piece of electrical tape over the nipple and letting the hammer down on the tape to help seal out moisture from the nipple. the tape falls away when you cock the hammer to cap the rifle.

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I am planning on using a cows knee to keep moisture out of the lock.

Whatever your recipe, the other reccos given wrt wads and patches apply. It's not the lube recipe that matters, it's how you use it.

YampaValleyMountainMan said:

Greetings all!

I want to first of all say thank you to everyone in advance for sharing their knowledge! I am loving all that I am reading and seeing so far in the community!

I am looking for a recipe for a ballisol-based lube for a PRB in a GM barrel. I am going to be elk hunting, and spike camping, so discharging at the end of the day won't really be an option.

What would be a good recipe that could sit for one-four days in the barrel without fouling the powder or rusting things up?

Thanks!

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The liquid Ballistol in the can has mix ratios for different uses. Make sure your caps stay dry, use a dry wad before your patched ball and re-seat your load every day. If it's real cold I would use something other than a water mix, perhaps straight Ballistol oil or mink oil grease.

YampaValleyMountainMan said:

Greetings all!

I want to first of all say thank you to everyone in advance for sharing their knowledge! I am loving all that I am reading and seeing so far in the community!

I am looking for a recipe for a ballisol-based lube for a PRB in a GM barrel. I am going to be elk hunting, and spike camping, so discharging at the end of the day won't really be an option.

What would be a good recipe that could sit for one-four days in the barrel without fouling the powder or rusting things up?

Thanks!

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I realize you are seeking information about Ballistol as a patch lube. However, for a hunting application and patch lube, specifically one that might sit in the bore for a few days, I recommend you consider Mink Oil from Track of The Wolf. It’s good stuff and will protect your barrel from rust. Simple and easy. Just load it and forget about it.

Odd how much the inexperienced shooter of muzzle loaders can find problems that some have never run into. My limited experience has not shown that this sport is that difficult. Start with a clean oil free barrel and breech, load your normal proven load then hunt. My midwestern hunts often lasted a month of December weather and my mountain states hunts at various altitudes never caused my rifle to fail to fire. I haven’t used leather, tape or gizmos to this point. These rifles can and have worked for generations of hunters.

Ballistol is mineral oil. Has the concept of not mixing black powder use with non plant base oil no longer advised?

All the expense to go on such a hunt a you won’t pull the ball clean and load up again the next day to increase your odds that your rifle will fire when needed.
You could use a CO2 discharge to keep the noise and door low.
Ballistol stinks, good thing Elk are nose blind otherwise they would sniff you out several hundred yards away that’s just 20 yds beyond your best PRB range.

I use mink oil lube (from TOTW) and cover the nipple. I have always that the gun fire, even days later after a rain. I was in CO for the entire season one year, didn't fire during that time, and at the end of the hunt it fired without a hang fire. I think the key is making sure the nipple is sealed.

7parts water 1 part ballistol let the patch material lay flat and dry.

Ballistol stinks way to much to consider for hunting.
Use water soluble oil instead. About 5:1 or 7:1 parts h2o to oil.

Any water soluble oil may soften fouling for extended shooting but the obvious issue is water goes right threw it so it’s a poor choice for rust protection. A simple test for protection is put a drop of water on the product you want to use. If it beads up, good , if it mixes not good.

Whatever you end up using, be sure and develop your hunting load using it.
It always depends upon what you're asking a piece to do and what each piece likes.
If you need a greasy or oily patch then maybe use an over powder card, cream of wheat over the card or whatever; do what works.

That said, before the BOOM! came about I witnessed a fat doe levitate up a gully wall like a super hero when my cap popped. So I can say with adequate authority...
Degrease the nipple hole and the breech and the bore, then put that degreased nipple back in without a trace of oil.

Thanks for the advice, all.

I already have TOTW mink oil (and mixed up some moose juice last night as well to give it a try).

I do want to note that while I have a greenhorn status, I have muzzleloaded before, albeit a very long time ago and in the eastern woods instead of the western mountains.

I will use the TOTW mink oil as the lube of choice. I have been working up a load for my maxi ball out of my .50 barrel and will work up a load for a PRB next weekend out of my .54 barrel. I am a firm believer that you need to shoot at the range as closely as you will to shooting in the woods, hence the "perfect practice makes perfect" ethos in my hunting life.

I will look into get a discharger and then blowing the load out at the end of each evening. Unfortunately, I am camping, so having access to the right things to do a proper cleaning might prove difficult, especially if I am spike camping.

In the event I do a CO2 discharge at the end of the day, is it necessary to do a full cleaning or can I just reload the next morning?

Thanks again for all the help!

If you empty the load, powder residue left in the barrel overnight will attract moisture. Suggest you clean the barrel and make sure it is dry, or use a lightly oiled patch and clean and dry again in the am. There is moisture in the mountain air, particularly as temperature drops at night. Rain is a different story. How and where you store it can also impact moisture access. On the cows knee, it will keep rain off, but won't keep moisture out of an uncapped nipple, hence the tape. I have also used a water proof canvas gun cover when weather was iffy. It protects the muzzle and lock. Good luck.

Balistol does not dry out. It will be just as good on day 1 as it is on day 4. Squeeze out the excess to keep it from getting to the powder.

It’s not that complicated to find a muzzleloader load that can sit for a time and still work, you just have to spend a little time figuring out what works for you. Suggest you start today. Load your gun, use your choice of components. Then let it sit and wait until the next time you go shooting, just be sure and identify your gun as having a charge in the barrel (that pesky safety thing). Take notes, write results, good, bad or indifferent.

Safety break, I tie a tag to the hammer/cock and cover the muzzle with my period correct plastic electrical tape, the black stuff.

Now, how does it shoot a week, two weeks or whenever after loading? Did the point of impact change? Any delay in ignition? Experiment and gain some confidence.

And just an observation, but Ballistol and other so called soluble oils are NOT soluble in water, rather they emulsify in water. There is a difference. Full disclosure, I do use an emulsion of Ballistol in water at the range and for cleaning.

Personally have found real mink oil on a patch with a wad between it and the powder charge works well, as others have mentioned. Doesn’t mean it will work in your gun, but something to consider. I am not a one gun hunter. I use multiple guns, depending on the season, the weather or my whim at the moment. I have found that a loaded gun with this load combination can sit at least six months here in North Carolina without any impact on reliability and accuracy, but that is my story and experience. You need to figure your story out yourself.

Freedom said:

Ballistol stinks way to much to consider for hunting.
Use water soluble oil instead. About 5:1 or 7:1 parts h2o to oil.

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It stinks ,,,but there are a lot of other odors I'd be more concerned with. I've used 4 parts water to 1 part Ballistol for hunting for years and it works great. I do use a 28 gauge (for .54 cal) card wad or wool felt between powder and bullet though not sure it is necessary.